What Does Mother's Day Mean if You Don't Have Access to Maternal Care?
posted by: Natasha N. 230 days ago
(This blog is posted on behalf of Linda Suttenfield, Director of Communications for Pathfinder International.)
As Mother's Day approaches and I see more and more advertising, ecards, and media I can't help but stop and ponder the many complicated facets of Mother's Day. For women in the US, Mother's Day is often about getting that perfect Hallmark card from your family or being treated to breakfast in bed. But for women in the developing world, celebrating motherhood through such a simple holiday is not even a possibility.
Every minute a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth—and overwhelmingly these women live in less developed countries. Not so long ago, even in the US, childbirth was dangerous. My own mother lost her first child—and almost her own life—in the mid-twentieth century. I know she carried that trauma with her through four other successful pregnancies. Three decades later, at a top teaching hospital in the US, my first labor lasted more than 60 hours, resulting in an emergency C-section. Had I not had access to some of the top care in the world, neither my son, nor I, would have survived.
I started working in reproductive health in 1973—first in the US, then abroad, and I have dedicated much of my career to trying to improve women's access to reproductive health care. Despite all I have seen, I am still deeply moved by the stories that come across my desk. Recently, one of our interns at Pathfinder International traveled to Bangladesh to document our maternal care work. His powerful three-minute video captures the story of Ruma, a 19-year-old Bangladeshi woman pregnant with her first child.
Imagine living in a one-room shanty with your husband and not having any knowledge about pregnancy or childbirth—I can only begin to fathom what that must be like. Luckily, Ruma received the care and information she needed and delivered a healthy baby girl just a few weeks ago. She also received family planning information and guidance—a key step to ensuring she and her baby continue on a path to healthy future.
We need more women with experiences like Ruma. For those passionate about women's reproductive health, we must take more action to improve maternal care and family planning in the developing world. Every woman, no matter where she lives, deserves access to quality health care.
If you believe, as I do, that reproductive health care is a basic human right, join me in taking action to ask President Obama to increase funding for international reproductive health care. Together we can help change the lives of more women like Ruma by giving them access to quality reproductive health, family planning, and maternal care services. I'd also be interested to hear what others have experienced, both in the US and abroad. Share your stories and stand with Pathfinder this Mother's Day as we advocate for zero tolerance for maternal mortality!
- Linda Suttenfield, MPH
With more than two decades of experience in international health, Linda Suttenfield has produced a number of award-winning publications including Courageous Pioneers. She co-authored one of the leading texts on the management of family planning programs, used widely by professionals and public health graduate programs. Linda served as the Deputy Director and Medical Programs Administrator for the International Rescue Committee in Bangkok, Thailand, where she directed the planning and daily operation of programs providing medical, educational, and family re-unification services to Southeast Asian refugees in Thailand. She also was the clinic manager for two family planning clinics in Maine and started her career in reproductive health working for as a clinical assistant for Planned Parenthood.
Read more: reproductive rights, womens rights, family planning, international womens rights
comments
Im not a mother of humans, but I have lots of pets, and i think every mother needs to be taken care of!
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
Love my daughter, every woman has a blessed right to have children but some restrictions in this time of overpopulation is needed. Birthcontrole is essential or we will destroy nature... people build, eat and pollute and a balance needs to be kept or overpopulation will be our downfall. Some parts of China already alow a maximum of 2 children in one family... they already know it's the only way to deal with it... sadly it had to come to this.
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in this day and with the world as it is, ok, may get some flack but birth control i important. the joy of motherhood is something i would not deny anyone, but, have you ever noticed that the poorer people of the world and our nation as well have the most children. overpopulation is not just an animal problem, i have one daughter by birth. i have several step children and some kids that just call me mom because i have tried to be there for them. all these are now grown, there are so many children out there that arent loved and cared for, it should be easier to adopt, regulations are important but people that have love to give and want to share what they have should not be stopped because of a lot of red tape and paperwork. the world is full of people and animals that need loving homes, sometimes those we just take the time to love and show understanding to can be the most loyal of children.
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Both women and MEN need to be educated in reproduction health. The responcibility lies with both sexes. Time for men to take some of the responsibility.
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How interesting, because there is a small movement in this country for unassisted childbirth. See:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0HTiOvOPZw
http://www.unassistedbirth.com/
send green star
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peace kind, a main problem is of those whom run the education system, they have the future generation in their hands, for its basically impossible not to go to school as a child, so if they teach doctoring from 1st grade on, maybe 50% of all medical problems shall disappear, but humanity is basically a beast, an animal like all animals, with a certain function in its nitch, such as it can't swim in water like a fish or fly like a bird, but has to eat other animals less it is eaten by those whom would eat them, so hopefully the future people will be able to teach doctoring from 1st grade on, for the medical profession is really a scam were a few chosen people control the remaining people, & if your not on the top of the list you just don't get the medical help needed for your ignorant of the truth biologically that the docs rule in that save bodies & surely adminsiter to their own 1st, for they understand each others doctor language that heals, & how can a few docs administer to the masses enough, just doesn't happen unless miracles happen, & miracles are very expensive, meaning rare to happen it seems, & when on a massive scale, like today all peoples health is made whole, all is healthy, only what the future problems health wise is what could happen to cause unhealthiness, like maybe some negative ionic hydogen cloud the earth passes through, more like our solar system would need it, then health blossoms diseases end, injuries heal rapidly. peace kind
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Love Mother's day , the family comes home and the men take care of the work . It's along time ago since I had a Mother ,
but I remember both parents , they were great ,
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Thanks Natasha!
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Education is not only needed for women, but men must also become involved so as to educate their brothers in foreign countries. Men who do not value their women do not value themselves or their children. This must change and it must all work in parallel with giving women the help they need.
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This is a great message for every day of the year. Thanks for the post!
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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
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